The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

The third branch of American government is the "highest court of the land" that can overrule legislation based on its assessment of whether the law is constitutional. The SCOTUS has nine justices and the book concerns the members of the SCOTUS over the last ten to fifteen years as well as the decisions they have handed down.

Washington D.C.

Where the SCOTUS is located and many of the justices live.

Harvard University

Perhaps the most prestigious American university and where Obama and Roberts both went to law school.

Supreme Court Nomination Process

The process, carried on by the US Senate and initiated by the President's nomination, confirms or rejects Supreme Court justices.

Judicial Activism

Usually a term of opprobrium, the term is supposed to refer to the attempt by judges to go beyond their typical status of reviewing laws...